Chronic disease is a growing problem in countries like the United States. Couple this with the high costs of healthcare and it makes a storm of problems for those seeking treatment and help with handling chronic disease. Common chronic diseases that become more and more prevalent each year are diseases like multiple sclerosis and diabetes. Diabetes is a notoriously expensive chronic illness to manage. Patients often experience complications from the disease like vision loss, high blood pressure, heart disease, and amputation (Institute of Medicine (U.S.), 2012). That is why diabetes must be managed and prevented.
Type II diabetes for example is often acquired through poor diet choices and leading a sedentary life (Institute of Medicine (U.S.), 2012). If people manage to identify and self-regulate these decisions and choose healthy alternatives and commit to more daily exercise, it can have a profound impact on the prevalence of chronic disease. There are various models of care available yet some still adhere to the traditional model of care that can be expensive and ineffective.
The traditional medical model of caring for people with chronic diseases—which focuses more on the illness than on the patient—is expensive and often ineffective.
More than two-thirds of all health care costs are for treating chronic diseases.
95% of health care costs for older Americans can be attributed to chronic diseases.
Less than 1% of health care dollars are spent on prevention to improve overall health. (NCOA, 2017).
New models of care can offer better alternatives and strategies like improved patient education that can really make a difference in a patient’s life. New models of care should emphasize choices that allow for affordability and potential avenues of progress for the patient. The traditional model of care has no room for such growth and innovation. It is at the root of the chronic disease situation.
References
Institute of Medicine (U.S.). (2012). Living well with chronic illness: A call for public health action. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
NCOA. (2017, June 1). Chronic Disease Facts | NCOA. Retrieved from https://www.ncoa.org/news/resources-for-reporters/get-the-facts/chronic-disease-facts/
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